Energy plan must hold water

The ongoing projects in the UAE have caused a rise in the demand for energy and would certainly become a source of pressure if the current development process continues to increase and expand. This is more so given that the country has been consuming about 25 per cent of the Gulf water, a fifth of which has been used to generate electric power, according to Dr Abdullah Al Amiri, chairman of the Emirates Energy Awards, a subsidiary of the Dubai Quality Award. He adds that the country would need Dh36 billion to meet its energy requirements over the next ten years.

Given the scale of these projects, it will be a challenge to meet energy demands, which necessitates well-planned and long-term preparations. The current and future impact on the use of Gulf water requires addressing the issues of capacity, pollution and the ability to meet the requirements.